Tips on how to thaw, prep, and cook your pastured Thanksgiving turkey.

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November 13, 2024

So, you have a beautiful PASTURE-RAISED CORN & SOY FREE TURKEY in your freezer. Now what? Here are some tips for thawing, prepping, and cooking your whole Thanksgiving turkey.

When do I need to thaw my turkey?

This is very important. There's nothing worse than getting ready to cook your turkey just to realize that it's still frozen!

When you need to thaw your turkey will depend on how big your turkey is and which thawing method you choose. Here are the details:

Slow thaw in the refrigerator. You’ll need about 24 hours per 4-5 pounds of turkey. So, for a 11-13lb bird, plan for 2-3 days in the fridge to thaw.

Quick thaw in cold water. Put the turkey in a sink of cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes, and plan for about 30 minutes per pound. So, for a 11-13lb bird, plan for a 5-7 hour thaw time.

TIP: Always keep a turkey cold when thawing. Once your turkey is thawed, it will last 1-2 days in the fridge. Timing is everything!

To brine or not to brine?

Whether or not to brine your turkey is a personal choice. If you choose to slow roast (more details on that below), the meat will be nice and tender, brine or no brine. If you choose a regular roast, then a brine will add some extra tenderness and extra juiciness and is recommended.

There are two main types of brining. Here are instructions for both:

Wet brine a turkey. For a super juicy bird.

Mix salt and water together until dissolved in a bowl or pot big enough for the turkey. The weight of the salt should be 5% of the total weight of the solution. That’s 1-¼ oz of salt per quart of water.

Infuse it with spices if you’d like. Think bay leaves, peppercorn, anise, rosemary, garlic, orange zest, chilis, brown sugar, molasses, etc. Add the ingredients of your choosing to the salt water solution, heat to a boil, and then cool.

Add the turkey to the brine. Keep it cold and let it soak for 8-18 hours. Then, remove from the brine, rinse with cold water, pat dry, and then cook.

Dry brine a turkey. For a tender bird with crispy skin. Easier than a wet brine.

Start with a thawed or partially thawed bird. Pat dry and rub generously with salt. If you want to infuse some extra flavor, consider mixing some herbs and spices with the salt.

Refrigerate uncovered (or loosely covered) for 1 hour per pound. So, for a 12 pound bird, plan for 12 hours in the fridge.

No need to rinse. The salt should dissolve while the brining magic happens.

Should I stuff my turkey?

Stuffing a turkey is optional. However, serving stuffing with your turkey is definitely recommended!

A word of warning. To cook stuffing inside the bird to the right temperature, you may end up with overcooked meat. This is why I prefer to make the stuffing separately. On the other hand, the flavor you get with stuffing cooked in a turkey is exceptional. A tough Thanksgiving choice for sure!

Instead of stuffing with stuffing, consider adding a little flavor here by stuffing your turkey with chopped onions, garlic, celery, apples, oranges, or lemons.

What should I season my turkey with? How do I prep it for cooking?

For golden brown, crispy skin, I recommend coating your turkey with fat first.

Use about ½ cup of butter, ghee, sunflower oil, or your favorite cooking fat. Rub or brush it all over the outside of the bird. Be generous!

Then, for added flavor, I recommend seasoning your bird inside and out before cooking.

If you did NOT brine the turkey, rub salt, herbs, and spices of your choosing all over the outside and interior cavity.

If you brined the turkey, no salt is needed at this point. Just rub in herbs and spices.

Traditional herbs and spices that go great with Thanksgiving turkey are parsley, thyme, rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Or, put a tropical twist on your bird with some lime zest, cumin, and coriander!

Then, you can truss the turkey. This is optional but does encourage even cooking.

Tuck the wing tips behind the bird’s shoulders. Tie the ankle together with kitchen twine of unflavored dental floss.

Will I do a regular roast or slow roast?

There are many ways to cook a turkey. Miller's recommends a low and slow cooking method. This will give the juiciest bird with the most collagen broken down into health-enhancing collagen. No matter whether you choose a slow or regular roast, the instructions are the same for cooking:

Let it rest. Always let your turkey rest at room temperature for about an hour before cooking. While it’s resting, preheat your oven to 350F.

Put it in the oven. Place turkey breast side up in a roasting rack. Loosely cover with a lid or aluminum foil.

Halfway through baking, remove the lid/foil. This will make for crispy skin.

Baste every 30-60 minutes (optional). Don’t let those pan drippings go to waste!

Slow Roasting Cooking Temp & Times: Preheat the oven to 350F. Turn down the heat to 250F when the turkey goes in the oven. Cook at 250F for 30-45 minutes per pound. So, a 12lb bird would take 6 hours to cook.

Regular Roasting Cooking Temp & Times: Preheat the oven to 350F. Cook at 350F for 13 minutes per pound. So, a 12lb bird would take 2.5-3 hours to cook.

You know your turkey is done when a thermometer reads 165F in the thickest part of the bird.

When should I put my turkey in the oven?

Timing is everything! I mean, the worst case Thanksgiving scenario is that everything is ready for dinner, but the turkey still is not cooked. Here's how to know when to put your turkey in:

Decide what time you want to eat.
Find out the weight of your bird.
Choose whether you'll do a slow or regular roast.
Calculate how much time will be needed using the "Cooking Temp & Times" guidelines above. Add an extra 30-60 minutes just to be safe.
Subtract the time needed from the time you want to eat. Then, you'll know when to put the turkey in the oven!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving turkey!

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? What are your favorite Thanksgiving tradition(s) or dish(es)?

I’d love to hear from you. Join the conversation below (no account requireed) or contact us.

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How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Did you know that, globally, pork is the #1 meat? According to the UN, 10% more pork is eaten compared to poultry worldwide. And, 50% more pork is eaten compared to beef worldwide. Wow! But, for some reason, this isn't the case in the US. According to the USDA, pork ranks #3 when it comes to meat. Americans eat 30% less pork compared to poultry and 15% less compared to beef. Why is this? Well, pork has gotten a pretty bad rep in the US. Of course there are some religions that prohibit pork, but that's not the leading factor. Some reasons why pork has a bad rep. 1- Too much saturated fat. The low fat craze started in the 1970s and fizzled out in the 1990s. It came from the belief that (1) fat makes us fat; and (2) that too much saturated fat = high cholesterol = bad things like heart disease and cholesterol. These myths have been debunked. Read more in fats and health blog post. The bottom line is that not all fats are created equal. Natural animal fats from happy, healthy animals are good. It's those highly processed hydrogenated saturated fats that are bad. In other words, eat all the pork fat! 2- Worry about disease. People still seem to think they can get sick from pork. There's fear of parasites (like the roundworm Trichinella spiralis that can cause trichinosis) or bacteria or other things. The reality is that getting sick from pork is really rare nowadays. If you cook pork properly, you don't need to worry about disease. Muscle meat (like chops or tenderloin) should be cooked to 145F. Ground meat and organs should be cooked to 160F. 3- Worry of bad ingredients. This only relates to processed pork like hot dogs and bacon and ham. There's truth to this one. Nitrates and nitrites, commonly used in curing conventional pork, have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues. And stabilizers, artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives have been linked to negative health outcomes, too. But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood. The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty". I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud. 6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome. It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round. This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork. Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised. Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free. This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds. Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives. We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar. No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs. We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

Tips on how to thaw, prep, and cook your pastured Thanksgiving turkey.

When do I need to thaw my turkey?

To brine or not to brine?

Should I stuff my turkey?

What should I season my turkey with? How do I prep it for cooking?

Will I do a regular roast or slow roast?

When should I put my turkey in the oven?

Enjoy your Thanksgiving turkey!

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Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

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